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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23852266">What If ...?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myname_yourname_everyonehasaname/pseuds/Myname_yourname_everyonehasaname'>Myname_yourname_everyonehasaname</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Middle School, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:14:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,067</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23852266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myname_yourname_everyonehasaname/pseuds/Myname_yourname_everyonehasaname</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is me regretting all of my life choices and deciding to have a relatively public meltdown of all of my regret. Enjoy!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What If ...?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a lovely morning up in Huntsville, Alabama. The Von Braun arena was relatively full, or at least more full than it is at a typical college hockey game, the seating as uncomfortable as always. I am sitting in the folding chairs on the floor, preparing to walk for my graduation. I majored in chemical engineering with a minor in chemistry. The minor came with the major if you cared enough to fill out the necessary form. I sit in my folding chair, cap and gown on, full of regret and anxiety.</p><p>What am I going to do now? I sorta kinda hate chemical engineering and honestly feel like if I get a job as a chemical engineer, I would cause so many deaths due to the fact that I didn’t learn a DAMN thing. Like I sorta know how to do a material balance, I think I was supposed to learn how to do an energy balance, and I definitely know how to do basic calculus. I had a class on mass transport (two actually) but the professor gave half credit if you tried and a 65 was a C so it really wasn’t a surprise that I passed first try without actually learning anything. I passed all of my classes first try without actually learning anything for the record. </p><p>In case I haven’t made it relatively obvious, I wish I didn’t major in chemical engineering (don’t know what other major I would have done though). I wish I went to a different college, I wish I’d have at least interviewed to be an RA, I wish I joined a sorority my freshmen year (not for everyone but at this college they were the only way you could have had anything remotely like a true college experience), I wish I learned how to study in high school.</p><p>I wish my life was different.</p><p>I don’t necessarily regret everything. I enjoyed my job as a tutor on campus. I made some wonderful friends that I love. They are probably the only reason I didn’t just drop out of college. Them and chegg to be honest. </p><p>The recording of pomp and circumstance starts playing so we know the ceremony is finally about to being. I pretend to listen to this local politician try to inspire us on our future. He really is just trying to get us to vote for him as I think he’s up for reelection in the fall. </p><p>After several hours of speeches later (honestly it was probably half an hour at most I just like to be dramatic) people begin to walk. I fidget in my seat because I hate being in front of people. I have lots of people issues. I hate people looking at me, I hate people talking to me, I hate people touching me. Also id really not like to trip in front of hundreds of people. Its why I am playing it super safe by wearing my flat sandals instead of the sort chunky heel sandals I have. I never really learned how to walk in heels. Or do makeup. So I just don’t! Some say that its very feminist of me when really its just very lazy of me. </p><p>Its almost my rows turn to stand and proceed to the stage. I am in fact a nervous wreck. I look down at my hands to stare at them shaking, made more obvious by the name card in my clutches. I literally just have to walk across the sage and shake some hands. Like that’s really my only job here. Walk. Shake hands. I have been doing both of these things for at least 5 years now! I do not let this knowledge stop my nerves, of course. </p><p>My row stands, and we proceed in an orderly fashion to the stage. I am staring at my feet. Gotta keep my eyes out for possible trip hazards. In high school, during our halftime show, I tripped and fell flat on my ass. In front of literally thousands of people. And I was right in front, so it was probably fairly obvious. I predict that this might have been the cause of my preoccupation with not tripping in front of people. </p><p>I have finally arrived at the ramp, my name card, with the pronunciation of my name on it, is probably a little moister than it should be. The line is moving a lot faster than I though it would now that I’m up here. When it gets time to hand off my name card, I avoid looking at their face. I don’t want to know if they have a reaction to the sogginess of the card. I very much would like to live in denial. I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt. </p><p>They announce my name, “Nicole Kelley.”</p><p>I walk across the stage. As I go I shake hands with the various people up here, none of which I am familiar with. It’s a new president too. President Bob retired last year. Its not like I ever talked to president Bob but we ad a lot of fun saying “curse you Bob!” when the college made decisions we disagreed with. Like messing up parking. </p><p>Anyways, I have successfully made it across the stage. All I have to do is walk down the stairs and back to my seat. Then I peacefully wait for the ceremony to be over and then take many pictures that I will hate mainly because I am in them. I am fat and filled with self disgust that I know is unhealthy but alas, I’m scared of doctors and wont ask my mother to see a therapist. </p><p>I start to walk down the stairs. There’s a wire they taped down on the very top stair. I didn’t see it in time, got my foot stuck and went flying. I got knocked out instantly on contact with the floor.</p><p>When I wake up I am back in my chair. How did I get here? I was knocked unconscious shouldn’t I have been taken to the hospital to check for a concussion? As I look around I realize that this isn’t the von Braun center. From the front of the large room I’m in a lady says,<br/>
“Congratulations from graduating for north shades elementary school!”</p><p>I am not at my college graduation, but my fifth grade graduation!!</p>
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